recently read 'hyperion' by dan simmons and am currently finishing up 'fall of hyperion', the sequel. very thought-provoking sci-fi.
next up is 'song of susannah', book 6 of stephen king's dark tower. the last book wasn't the best, but the series is wrapping up so i gotta finish it.

no1broncofan - how do you rate larry niven's work? haven't read any of it but heard good things.

Have you read "the Terror" by Dan Simmons? It is way different from Hyperion, it is historical fiction mixed with an abominable snowman, but nonetheless, it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's huge too. Like 800 pages. I couldn't put it down. Takes place in the arctic (back when it was still cold and frozen), and I remember feeling cold the entire time I read it. I highly recommend it.

P.S. didn't realize I was responding to you from 8 years in the past! I was wondering why you were just reading Song of Susanah! Wolves of the Calla was pretty bad, and I quit there back in 2004.

Have you read "the Terror" by Dan Simmons? It is way different from Hyperion, it is historical fiction mixed with an abominable snowman, but nonetheless, it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's huge too. Like 800 pages. I couldn't put it down. Takes place in the arctic (back when it was still cold and frozen), and I remember feeling cold the entire time I read it. I highly recommend it.

P.S. didn't realize I was responding to you from 8 years in the past! I was wondering why you were just reading Song of Susanah! Wolves of the Calla was pretty bad, and I quit there back in 2004.

Whoa, not only another Simmons fan, but a fan of The Terror. That's one of my favorites. He's been pretty hit or miss for years, but that one was hard to put down.

Probably Towers of Midnight. After toughing it out through a brutal stretch of bla bla bla for several thousand pages it was nice to see the story start to wrap up. Jordan started some quality story lines that have been treading water up for several books. It's about time they get into the action.

Have you read "the Terror" by Dan Simmons? It is way different from Hyperion, it is historical fiction mixed with an abominable snowman, but nonetheless, it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's huge too. Like 800 pages. I couldn't put it down. Takes place in the arctic (back when it was still cold and frozen), and I remember feeling cold the entire time I read it. I highly recommend it.

P.S. didn't realize I was responding to you from 8 years in the past! I was wondering why you were just reading Song of Susanah! Wolves of the Calla was pretty bad, and I quit there back in 2004.

Haha, no prob, 8 years ago is nothing when there are so many good books out. Yes, I've read 'The Terror' and it's actually the last new Simmons book I have read. Flashback is on my list to read, but alas my amount of reading has dropped lately. Anyways, 'The Terror' was awesome, I definitely felt that cold feeling you mention. Heck, that book actually put me into a somewhat grey, semi-depressed slothy state for about two weeks near the middle of the book. And I really loved the turn at the end with the Native American spiritual spin. Hope they make a movie sometime.

Speaking of Dark Tower, anyone notice that there's a new Dark Tower novel out by King? Forgot the name, but I'm tempted to read it... looks to be a flashback type story in the vein of 'Wizard and Glass' which I really loved.

Whoa, not only another Simmons fan, but a fan of The Terror. That's one of my favorites. He's been pretty hit or miss for years, but that one was hard to put down.

I agree... I absolutely love the Hyperion Cantos, and Ilium started off great, but by the time it ended I was pretty sure I had no desire whatsoever to read Olympos. Sad thing is that I bought Olympos... heh.

I've been thinking of picking of Carrion Comfort for a while, is it worth the read? I've never really been into horror but I love sci-fi.

Speaking of sci-fi - a great Hugo award winner I read last year was Robert Charles Wilson's 'SPIN'... Awesome concept for sci-fi and it really felt like something that could actually happen. There's a couple sequels out - 'Axis' and something else, which I haven't read, but the first book was definitely worth it.

I agree... I absolutely love the Hyperion Cantos, and Ilium started off great, but by the time it ended I was pretty sure I had no desire whatsoever to read Olympos. Sad thing is that I bought Olympos... heh.

You called it right -- I loved Ilium (all of it), but the Olympos was a hot mess and kind of ruined the "series" for me. I know longer have fond memories of Ilium because of what Olympos did to it. (Still a great idea, though).

"The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocolypse" (think "Hitchikers Guide" but with fairy tale creatures ) by Robert Rankin.

The "Alcatraz" books (fantasy) by Brandon Sanderson are a lot of fun even if they are aimed at a juvenile crowd.

Also can't forget the "Artemis Fowl" books by Eoin Colfer.

Those are just some of the places you can go.

Ben

Thanks for the recommends, as I had an awesome run on books(The Shack, then Elantris, then the Mistborn series), but then went to Peter Watts and the Starfish series.....yep, I stopped reading midway through the 2nd book!

"The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocolypse" (think "Hitchikers Guide" but with fairy tale creatures ) by Robert Rankin.

The "Alcatraz" books (fantasy) by Brandon Sanderson are a lot of fun even if they are aimed at a juvenile crowd.

Also can't forget the "Artemis Fowl" books by Eoin Colfer.

Those are just some of the places you can go.

Ben

i liked most of those, but found The Hunger Games trilogy to be extremely overrated.

the books are put together in a way that they feel rushed, as if they were missing several chapters, especially the 2nd and 3rd books. also, Katniss is one of if not the least likeable lead characters i have ever followed in any book.

I'm on my second read through the Song of Ice and Fire books and am enjoying it just as much on the second read-through as I did on the first. It's amazing the little details you pick up the second time through.

I'm on my second read through the Song of Ice and Fire books and am enjoying it just as much on the second read-through as I did on the first. It's amazing the little details you pick up the second time through.

5000 pages is alot to read twice.

Have you tried Martin's The Hedge Knight trilogy? Set about 80-90 years before GoT. Not as good as any of the ASOIAF books IMHO, but an interesting look at Westeros under Targaryen rule and just as violent. Combined I think it's about 400-500 pages.

Thanks for the recommends, as I had an awesome run on books(The Shack, then Elantris, then the Mistborn series), but then went to Peter Watts and the Starfish series.....yep, I stopped reading midway through the 2nd book!